Doppelbock was first brewed in Munich around 1700 by the monks of Saint Francis of Paula, to sustain them through the Lenten fast. They called their full-bodied brew “Salvator.” Today it is customary to pay homage to the good brothers by giving doppelbocks names ending in “-ator.” Our version bids a fond aufwiedersehen to tradition, charting a flight path into bold new territory. Medium amber in color, it offers a heady, estery banana aroma. Rich maltiness predominates, with cedar aging lending just a hint of spice to the finish.

Faint wood and a touch of banana on the nose over a backdrop of malt and kettle sugar aromas. It pours hazy brown tinted amber with a stiff lightly tan tinted 2” white foam cap that fairly quickly recedes. The palate starts with malty sweetness with some kettle sugars and a little chocolate in the flavor finishing with a hint of tartness and slightly astringent from the grains and wood. A luscious soft carbonation that works well with the malt to produce a creamy body and mouth feel. (490 characters)

It pours a dark chestnut brown. It's very opaque with an inviting, rich look. The head is initially a finger thick and look nice on top of the much darker beer, but there's little retention and before long it's gone. After a quick swirl, slight lacing presents.

The smell is very welcoming. Very malty, caramelly, with some spices and a hint of smoke.

For the style, the taste is right up there. The caramel malts take top billing, but the spice, smoke and high alcohol are very worthy supporting members and make for a nice flavor profile.

A full-bodied beer with burst of sweet and complimentary hits of various spices and some char from the cedar. No real hop presence and little to no bitterness. The spice and smokey feel balance the malty sweetness and everything is cleaned up at the end with the heat from the alcohol.

I don't care much for lagers or German malt bombs, but this was a damned good beer. It's got a lagery taste and feel but everything is spot on with sharp edges like an ale. Good stuff, great flavor and the perfect amount of alcohol. Makes for a good night sipper. (1,097 characters)

A - Very dark amber colour with a deep brown centre; only very slightly translucent. Two fingers of light, bubbly tan coloured head.

S - Dark caramel, brown sugar, yeast esters and a hint of cocoa.

T - Bready malts, dark caramel, brown sugar and some toffee notes combined to for a fairly sweet malt-forward base. A light cedar presence shows up in the finish but is otherwise secondary. Slightly warming ABV helps cut through the sweetness. A great flavour profile but I would have likes a little more of the cedar coming through.

Well the listing for this beer states that it is retired, but I was able to find this off of the shelf in Terra Haute Indiana. Poured into Smokestack glass. Appearance is a muddy red with minimal clarity and generous head upon pour. 2 fingers of head retain nicely, little in the way of lacing. Nose is heavy on cedar which provides quite the aroma for a beer. This pairs nicely with a malty base beer that features waves of grapes, candied fruit, and caramel. Taste starts sweet and fruity, notes reminiscent of grape Jolly Ranchers come to mind. A little bit of tartness is present as well. This malt presence is countered by a distinctly cedar flavor. The finish is dry. Mouthfeel is smooth with moderate to high carbonation. Overall, very nice and interesting brew. I like the way the cedar works in this beer and would be interested to see it used in other ways. (867 characters)

Review from 5/2010 notes. Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a nice dark orange amber, with abundant carbonation and a fast fading orange head leaving lacing. The carbonation is fun to watch, but does not stay aggressive in the glass. Nice malt, fruit aroma with a hint of cedar. Very pleasant dark and light fruits, sweet malt and caramel up front, malty middle and an odd hoppy and bitter finish that was pleasant, probably from the cedar. I like this a lot. This was one of my favorite Doppelbocks; I see that it is listed as retired here and is not listed on the Boulevard website. I'm very disappointed and wish I could have stashed some of these away. (662 characters)

Bronze color with a two finger light tan head with very good retention and lacing. The aroma has caramel, bananas, cedar, and spice.

The taste is much like the aroma. There is caramel, banana, cedar, spices, pepper, and there is some phenolic flavors too. Sweet with some hop bitterness for balance. Not a classic Doppelbock in terms of style, but still tasty.

Medium bodied with soft carbonation. No hint of alcohol in the taste. A well made Dopplebock. Too bad this has been retired by Boulevard. (500 characters)

A: Pours out a great deep red, pretty much brown, with purple and orange hues. It's a really rich mahogany color. There is about a half finger of light khaki head that fades quickly leaving some funky bubbles along the top of the beer.

S: The nose is roasted malt, spice, banana, and some sort of wood. I can't specifically say that I smell cedar, but it makes sense with the subtle spice. I also pick up some dark fruits.

T: The initial hit is sweet and spicy. I get a good mix of caramel and spice right away. The sweetness falls away steadily as the spice continues on strong. The banana and dark fruits join the party a little bit later. There is slight smoke in the finish, mixed with spice and plum, and the last hint is packed with some booze.

M: Medium bodied beer. It's sweet and spicy all the way through. There is a touch of lingering booze on the back end.

O: I didn't care for this beer the first time I had it, but I'm enjoying it much more this time around. I wish this brew had more cedar notes in it (I LOVE cedar). All in all, another solid Boulevard beer. (1,129 characters)

Batch Number 2010-1 Pours a dark brown with a 1/2 pillow of foam that just stays. The aroma is just amazing. The cedar shines and mixes well with the sweet malts and toffee. I don't want to stop smelling this. The first sip is world class. The taste follows the nose almost exactly except with a bit more sweetness but it doesn't overpower. The wood flavor sings a melodic symphony with the various sweet flavors each contributing just a little (banana, toffee, malts, brown sugar).

This might be the smoothest beer I have ever had. The carbonation level is perfect to give a silk like mouth feel. The finish to me is like the 5 min mark after finishing a piece of hard candy with just a bit of dryness. I was very glad to find this on the shelf and it was even better than expected. Sad part, only 1 bottle left. Very good. (827 characters)

Although it is saying that this beer is retired I have seen it in Boulevard displays still so it is around. I have enjoyed this on tap and more recently in a bottle. This review is a bit older from my notes.

Appearance: It has a dark amber body with a red hue. It was poured perfectly by my bartender at the Flying Saucer KC into a pint glass. It formed a rocky tan head and had awesome lace.

Smell: It had cologne like quality it was a full aroma. Earthy, wood like with dry fruit, finishing sweet with some alcohol.

Taste: The dry fruit like esters are the first thing noticed. The flavor is a lot like the smell it is very rich wood tones back up by a huge malt presents.

Mouthfeel: It has a bite from the carbonation. It also has a heavy whiskey like alcohol feel. Full bodied.

Overall: I like it but it seems to be more like Belgian style beer than a German. (870 characters)

This beer pours a dark ruby color with a one inch light tan head. There is decent head retention and no lacing left behind.

The aroma is fairly pleasant. Rich malt tones provides notes of caramel and raw grain. There are some fruity esters as well that are all tied together with a touch of spice.

The taste is pretty nice. Again rich malt provides a sense of caramel and raw grain. A light woodiness provides some spice to round things out.

The mouthfeel is full bodied with a fine bubbled carbonation. It's a nice efforvescence that seems more common in bottle conditioned beers.

Overall another great beer from Boulevard. I love the thought they put into their Smokestack beers and this is no exception. Going with a German style and finishing in a cedar barrel was a great idea and the flavor profile is still correct. It's definitely fun and interesting. Like I always say, interesting is what I'm after these days, it keeps beer exciting and satisfies my curiousity. (977 characters)

S: Sweet toffee, caramel, miscellaneous dark fruits, and just some mild brown sugar give this one a fairly traditional doppelbock aroma. However, the cedar wood comes through shortly after, as does a bit of booze.

T: The wood seems to be even more pronounced on the palate and gives a weird spiciness. There is a nice caramel and toffee sweetness with some mild bread and fruit notes. A touch of booze and maybe even some vanilla.

Stumbling across a bottle of this one in a shop north of Denver, I purchased it only to experience a cedar aged beer. Poured a nice reddish-orange color with an off-white cap of foam. Aromas of cedar, peppery spice and dark fruits. On the palate, this one was slightly more than medium bodied, with flavors of cedar, pepper, spice, caramel and sweet, dark fruits. (363 characters)

Pours a dense, deep amber color with hints of copper, topped by a large frothy off-white head with good staying power.

The nose is subtle yet refined. Dominated by a soft banana ester aroma, the underlying malt profile prevents me from thinking 'hefeweizen.' A nice woodsy spice complements the fruitiness, and the nutty and toffee-like malt notes round everything out. Cedar is subtle but evident, a nice addition. Has the earthy, leafy hop character I've come to expect in a bock.

If the banana notes in the nose lent any confusion as to the style, the palate clears it up right away. Malty and rich, but far from cloying. Walnut and toffee flavors emerge, as well as a pleasant toasted bread note. Nuanced and subtle and altogether tasty.

Carbonation is a little excessive, but it's likely that this helps prevent an unpleasant heaviness. Full-ish in body, firm but rounded. Seems as thought it would be a particularly good food beer. (1,031 characters)

Got this from sgsmfdoom/John as one of several bottles traded at the BA Sexual Chocolate release. It's been awhile since I've had a doppelbock, so I was really excited to try one that isn't available in NC.

Pours a beautiful dark amber, with a fluffy two-finger tan head and a latticework of sizzling bubbles that quickly dissipate from the sides of the DFH snifter. Wonderful aroma of overripe bananas, toffee, caramel, a touch of clove, and a hint of the cedar. Oh man, this is a really tasty brew...the banana, toffee, and spices blend into a not-too-sweet, creamy mouthfeel, with a pleasant spicy tingle on the finish, courtesy of the cloves and cedar. And the bananas and spice linger around just long enough to make you want to immediately have another sip!!

After having this, I wish I had another bottle to try later...I haven't had enough doppelbocks to accurately compare this one to the style, but this is one solid brew from the folks at Boulevard, and one that I'd try again in a heartbeat. Thanks again John for passing along this treat. (1,054 characters)

Appearance: Pours a clear tawny color with a modest head; just fair in the lacing department, as well

Smell: Fruity caramel, with a dried cherry character; just a hint of cedar but if it weren't on the label I am not sure I would have picked it up

Taste: Starts out with a dry, caramel character that quickly adds the cherry fruit elements; by mid-palate, the cedar aspect arrives to add another dimension; after the swallow, the caramel malt flavors dominate along with a bit of booziness in the finish; in the aftertaste, the cedar aging finally moves to prominence

Mouthfeel: Medium body with low carbonation

Overall: Not quite there in the style, with a lack of both bold flavor and thicker mouthfeel; decent, but I can understand why this was retired

Poured into a corsendonk goblet from a 750 ml bottle. It's a deep red cloudy beer with a small creamy head.

It has a really rich malty aroma as expected. Definite hints of toffee and caramel. Very appetizing.

The taste is very similar to the aroma with a boozy sting to it on the front and a roasted tone creeping through on the end. It's definitely more boozy than the aroma indicated, almost as if it was bourbon barrel aged but I don't think it was. Really really good flavor to it.

It's a little thin compared to the bold flavors. Really could use a little body to it but that probably helps the drinkability.

Overall, a good beer. Not quite an A+ to me but I'd drink it again without thinking twice. (712 characters)

The beer pours a medium brown color with a tan head. The aroma is great. I get a mix of toffee and caramel along with some hints of cedar and bananas. A little bit of raisins and other dark fruit also comes through in the aroma.

The cedar is more present in the flavor than it is in the aroma. A nice, dry cedar characteristic melds very well with the dark fruit and toffee. There is also a little bit of alcohol present in the flavor, as well as a little bit of grass.

Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation. A very nice spin on the doppelbock style. (595 characters)

pours out of the 750 ml bottle a very dark garnet colour. huge frothy beige head stays and sticks leaving some nice lace. fruity aroma...currants, figs, plums, black cherries and some dark chocolate. cedar notes jump out right away...pleasant in an unexpected way. the woody notes linger and open up to a bunch of flavours not normally associated with a true to style doppelbock. yeast and cocoa, nougat, sour cherries, some lactic flavours come out of no where...i swear this has belgian hints that remind me of holiday/x-mas brews that i've tasted prior. doesn't drink like a lager. certainly has some boozy attributes that make the drinker feel all warm and fuzzy but their isn't much heat or spice from the ABV. dry finish. medium body for a doppel. mouthfeel is certainly smooth and the dryness asserts itself again...again not the lush and semi-cloying character of other doppels that i'm sampling this against. it has a nice drinkability and overall i find this tasty and interesting, but maybe not compared to others within the style.

this is a nice variation on a style that has limited variabilites when it comes to brewing up different angles on a straightforward bock. i'm sure i would have liked this a lot more in the dead of winter rather on a warm spring day. hard to score accurately. (1,354 characters)

A: Pours a beautiful ruby/amber color, quite cloudy. One finger medium tan head has great retention but not much lace.

S: Sweet malt with dark fruits right behind that.

T: Like the smell, malt and fruits, spice underneath. Cedar is present and blends well with the rest. Delcious. Sweetness takes on a creamy quality as the beer warms. There is another flavor in here that I can't identify, but it's good. Clove gum drops? A bit of roastiness also comes into play near the end of the glass.

M: Medium-heavy body. Carbonation is a tad fizzy, but still a very creamy mouthfeel.

O: A splendid Doppelbock. The cedar really makes it unique. It's a shame Boulevard has discontinued this, but maybe they'll take it up again. Hope springs eternal. (775 characters)

Bottle says best consumed by August 2010; we'll see about that. Aromas of ripened bananas with the substantial corresponding wood aging characteristics composed of vanilla, cider apples and light burnt brown sugar and sticky toffee. The taste begins with full strong toffee and caramel maltiness which transitions into the yeast flavors of mild clove and ripened bananas. Slight Riesling grape, full bodied, white vinous flavors. No hop characteristics obviously because of the style and the age on this beer. As far as doppelbocks go this is fairly light bodied and light on flavors, compared to say a Thomas Hooker or an Ayinger. Throughout you get the bready and biscuity maltiness. Mouthfeel is full with adequate carbonation. Overall this is a great beer, not sure if it is a doppelbock per say, but I care not about style profile. The color is off, flavors are great but not dark and malty like most of the style. Still great, Boulevard is 2 for 2 so far with me. (972 characters)